


Their Last Dance

by VJuniorVasquez



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: M/M, Oh, Why Did I Write This?, now I remember!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:33:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22902508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VJuniorVasquez/pseuds/VJuniorVasquez
Summary: That night, they both said goodbye to each other... for the last time.
Relationships: Gou/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum
Comments: 10
Kudos: 71





	Their Last Dance

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! I'm back!  
> Also, sorry for this...  
>  **Bold letters indicate a flashback**

Ash Ketchum didn’t have a clear definition for romance. For him, romance was spending an afternoon with his boyfriend looking at the sky, then stopping by a shop and sharing an ice cream, and finally strolling down the coast until the sunset…

That was always his plan for a perfect date, and although Gou didn’t really disliked the idea, after being his boyfriend for six long years, their dates were getting pretty… monotonous.

The excitement of sharing a romantic moment was still there, but the places, the atmosphere, the projects, were always the same. Gou knew it, and Ash noticed it. So the Trainer from Pallet Town prepared something in secret, ‘something very special’ would be his answer every time Gou asked.

That night, Gou took a taxi in the Kalos Region, he told the driver the address and waited to get there. He promised Ash he wouldn’t look the place on the web, he wouldn’t try to figure out what building was there, and he kept his promise. Gou was totally in the dark about this date, and for a moment, that was exciting.

That excitement ended as soon as he got out of the car and contemplated the place.

“Really?” Gou said to himself aloud

It was Laverre Gym, of course it was. A new and exciting idea? Not even remotely, the only exciting thing that could come out of Ash’s brain was a Pokemon battle, so of course their date had to be inside a Gym.

However, when Gou entered the building he noticed everything had change. The field where the battles took place was completely gone, replaced with a ballroom. Several couples were dancing there, paying little to no attention to the newcomer.

Amazed by the sight, Gou kept walking, completely ignoring the giant staircase at his side, a chuckle made him look in that direction. It was Ash, but at the same time, it wasn’t him.

Of course, his boyfriend’s eternal smile was there, his eyes, his raven haired hair perfectly trimmed. Actually, that was the first thing Gou noticed.

The second was his impeccable light-blue suit, Ash made a bow and then twirled for a moment, and Gou chuckled, he was wearing a blue cape, because of course he had to be as extravagant as ever.

“You like it?” Ash asked, and all Gou could do was nod approvingly

“Now, about your suit…” Ash continued

“My suit?”

For all response, Ash took a red suit from behind him (it was impossible for Gou to understand how he didn’t see that earlier) and presented it to his boyfriend.

“Valerie works on her designs so much that she closed the Gym and replaced it with this ballroom I asked her if we could come and since she owes me a favor…”

“Does everyone on Kalos owe you a favor?” Gou wondered

“I did save the entire region years ago…” Ash explained

Gou smiled. There was that feeling again, the excitement of something new, of something different, he took his suit and ran to the dressing room as quickly as he could.

When he came out, Ash was waiting for him in the center of the room, he extended his hand towards him and Gou hesitated, Ash noticed it and questioned:

“Wanna dance?”

“I’d like to, but…”

“You don’t trust my skills”

Gou laughed wholeheartedly, but Ash didn’t

“Ash, I’m sorry to say this, but you’re not particularly a good dancer”

Somewhere, a band started to play softly, before Gou could recognize the song, Ash took a step forwards, and took his boyfriend in his arms, he spun him around effortlessly, and then swing right and forward, mirroring his moves perfectly, Gou simply smiled, unimpressed

“It’s going to take a lot more than just that”

“I’m barely beginning” Ash commented

He intertwined his right hand with Gou’s own, then put his left hand behind his back and brought him closer. He started to spin around, over and over again, without missing the beat not even once; he then placed a soft kiss on Gou’s cheek, making him blush.

“I missed you” Ash whispered

“How? We are together all the time” Gou replied

“I missed seeing you blush that way; I know things weren’t perfect lately, so I wanted to do something special for you”

Gou grabbed his boyfriend by the waist and spun him, now in control of the situation, which made the trainer laugh excitedly.

“I don’t need anything special” Gou explained “I just need you by my side, that’s all”

“For how long?”

Gou bit his lip, that question was always unwelcomed, the future was so uncertain, and he definitely didn’t want to think about a future without Ash, it was his biggest fear, but at the same time, he had come to accept that he needed to stop worrying about the future, and enjoy the present.

“For as long as you want” Gou replied, and Ash grinned once again

The couple remained silent for a few minutes, going to one side of the ballroom to the other, without a care in the world. Suddenly; Ash took his boyfriend’s hand and dragged him out of the dance floor.

“Follow me!” He shouted

“Do I have a choice?” Gou answered, grasping his hand tightly

The view from the balcony was nothing but perfect, a starry night like Gou haven’t seen in years, even the moon seemed brighter and bigger than normal. Ash leapt and placed himself precariously on the railing, inviting Gou to sit right next to him.

“You’re a magnet for danger, Ash Ketchum” He said, putting his arms over the railing “Any reason why you suddenly stopped dancing?”

“I wanted to think”

“About”

“Us”

Gou raised an eyebrow

“You’ll have to be a little more specific”

“You said you didn’t wanted perfect dates, but I know you are not having the same fun as… before, you know, a few months back”

“These things tend to happen, Ash”

“You’re getting tired, you mean”

“I would never” Gou replied with conviction

“Still…” Ash rebutted “I can’t help to think that maybe, one day, this will be over, you’ll take a new path and I’ll take my own and we’ll have to say goodbye to each other”

Gou looked at Ash and noticed he was crying, he took him by the arms and forced him to get off the railing.

“I know, after all this time it’s silly I think of those things, but…”

“But nothing” Gou interjected, wiping his face “We’ll find a way to be together, for as long as we want, I promise…”

“I don’t want to leave you, but…” Ash whispered

“But?” Gou asked, raising an eyebrow

“But I got this feeling… I don’t know how to explain it… Like something _really bad_ is about to happen”

“Like a premonition?”

Ash simply nodded and Gou wanted to kiss him, but decided it was best to return to the ballroom. He was there to spend time with him, because he knew Ash needed him.

He simply wished that need would last a little longer…

The place was empty, not even one couple except for them remained in the building, and Ash seemed to not care about that, grabbing Gou again and spinning around once more.

“I’ll retract, you do have skills” Gou commented

“See?” Ash replied, spinning once again and hugging him tightly “I don’t remember when I got so good at this”

“Yes” Gou said “This almost feels like a dream”

Ash tried to not pay attention to the comment and changed the topic

“You like your new suit?” He asked, putting a hand on Gou’s back

“I love it” his boyfriend replied “Where did you get it?”

“I told you…” Ash doubted for a second “from Valerie!”

“Uh-huh”

Gou knew he couldn’t keep up for much longer, this was hurting him, and Ash, and it didn’t matter how good it felt to be in his friend’s arms, he had to put an end to this…

“Where is Pikachu, Ash?”

The trainer’s eye twitched and he managed to reply:

“He must be around somewhere… Let’s talk about something else, about us, for example!”

“Sure, why not. Remember how long we’ve been together, Ash?” Gou dared to ask

“Six years” He replied with a smile

“Years?” Gou questioned

And that was when the whole world crushed down.

A new song replaced the old one, a song full of sadness and sorrow, and the place started to fill with a pink smoke. Gou frowned, the spell was breaking, and Ash knew it.

**“Young Champion” Leon said with a grin, handing Ash an envelope “This is for you”**

**Ash read the letter, and Gou swore he never saw so much excitement in his eyes. A chance to train with the most experienced trainers from all over the world? To rise to heights even _he_ didn’t know? To beat them all and finally be closer to achieving his dream of becoming a Pokemon Master?**

**Gou expected to see Ash jumping around, over and over again, maybe hugging Leon and Pikachu in the process.**

**Instead, he simply turned around, walked towards him and reached for Gou’s hand**

**“Come with me” Ash offered**

**“What?” Gou said, astonished**

**“I don’t want to this alone, I mean, I don’t know if I can do this alone… So come with me”**

**Gou was about to smooch the hell out of Ash Ketchum’s face when Leon intervened**

**“I’m sorry Ash… Gou can’t come with us”**

**“Why not?”**

**“Not every trainer can participate in this challenge; you need a special envelope for the competition”**

**“Then give him an envelope and let’s go!” Ash said with a smile, taking his boyfriend’s hand**

**“I can’t do that… Gou didn’t fought as many battles as you, and he certainly didn’t beat as many opponents”**

**“But he’s my boyfriend!” Ash protested, and Gou blushed immediately “I love him! And I want him by my side!”**

**“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do…”**

**“I need Gou by my side…” Ash refuted with a whisper**

**Leon shook his head and simply replied:**

**“I’ll come to pick you up in the morning… Remember, we’ll be isolated, so no phones or laptops, ok?”**

**Ash nodded, and as soon as Leon was out of his sight, he claimed:**

**“I’m not going”**

**“Ash…” Gou said, taking his hand**

**“I can’t go” Ash insisted, turning around and facing his boyfriend “Not without you”**

**“You need to go Ash… You need this”**

**“I need _you!_ ” the Trainer insisted, almost crying**

**Gou hugged him and put a hand on his head, stroking his hair softly**

**“I won’t forgive myself if you lose this chance just because you don’t want to leave me… You have to choose, and if you doubt only for a second, you’ll lose your chance”**

**Ash kissed Gou’s cheek, causing him to blush**

**“I don’t want to choose… I want the championship and you… I want it all”**

**Gou laughed and kissed his boyfriend on the lips**

**“But you can’t have everything” he said, and Ash knew he was right “It’s only six months, ok?”**

**Ash nodded, but still, he thought six months and an eternity sounded pretty much the same…**

There was no ballroom around Ash and Go anymore. Not a band, not a floor, not a staircase or a balcony, even the song in the background was gone, only the two of them remained there, along with the pink mist.

“Remember when you left?” Gou asked

Ash didn’t reply

“Because I do” the boy continued “’Young Trainer from Pallet Town chosen to compete in the Champion’s Challenge’ that’s what the papers said about you back then, you remember?”

“I don’t…” Ash said, and Gou knew he was lying

“And I know I left you too” Gou continued “I mean, how could I not? I don’t mean to brag, but… Professor Sakuragi’s most brilliant and innovative Researcher, on the mission of a lifetime, discovering new traces of Mew’s DNA!’ that’s what everyone said about _me_ ”

“I could have been there…” Ash argued

“But you weren’t” Gou replied “Just like I wasn’t there when you returned from your Challenge”

**Ash wasn’t suppose to say anything to anyone about the Champion’s Challenge, but as soon as he came back to professor Sakuragi’s Lab and was received by Koharu, the girl noticed something was really wrong.**

**“What happened, Ash?” she asked, genuinely concerned**

**“I… I can’t say” he simply answered**

**“Oh… Champion’s secret, I get it”**

**“Where’s Gou?” the boy asked, and the girl heard him so tired, so desperate…**

**“About that…”**

**She told him everything, Gou was busy travelling the world, giving conferences here and there about his most recent, world-changing discovery. Ash heard attentively, but his expression was of pure sadness. He was hoping to see his boyfriend again…**

**“I know it’s not the same than seeing him… but you could call him” Koharu offered, and Ash accepted**

**Gou practically launched at his phone as soon as he saw Ash’s face on the screen.**

**“I missed you so much!” Ash shouted, kissing the screen and making Gou giggle**

**“How was the challenge?” Gou asked, but Ash interrupted**

**“Forget about the challenge! Tell me about your discovery!”**

**It was surprising to see Ash interested in something else than a Pokemon battle, but still, Gou complied and told them, in great detail, every single thing he could remember about his achievement, Ash nodded eagerly, hearing his explanations, once Gou was done, the trainer from Pallet Town asked:**

**“So… When are you coming back?”**

**“Oh…”**

**“You _plan_ to come back, right?”**

**“Of course!” Gou shouted “It’s just… I’m not still sure when… You know, the tour takes a lot of time, and there are so much people to meet and show my discovery, and I’m learning a lot of things too!”**

**Now it was Ash’s time to say:**

**“Oh…”**

**“But tell me about your challenge!” Gou replied “How was it”**

**“I’m not suppose to tell you anything”**

**“I know, but you can make an exception for your boyfriend, right?” Gou said, winking at him**

**Ash didn’t reply, and finished the call, much to Gou’s surprise.**

“Six months training with the Champions from all over the world in an exclusive and secret location? I got the chance of a lifetime, how could I say no to that!”

It didn’t matter that the floor, the walls, heck, even the whole universe (except for the pink mist) disappeared around them, Ash and Gou were still dancing, but it wasn’t the same, not anymore…

“How could I tell you I failed?” Ash continued

“What do you mean?”

Ash didn’t respond

“Ash Ketchum, what did you mean when you said you failed?” Gou insisted “You never told me what happened at the Champion’s Challenge”

Suddenly, the pink mist surrounding the couple started to fade away, Gou knew there wasn’t much time left, so he insisted:

“Before it’s too late, and once and for all, tell me what happened!”

“It was hell…” Ash replied

“What?”

**“Mom!” Ash shouted “I’m home!”**

**Delia greeted her son with the same energy and joy as always, but she knew very well something was wrong, she decided Ash would pick the moment to talk about whatever was tormenting his mind, so she simply put a smile, made dinner for him and avoided asking him any questions…**

**But it came a point when her curiosity got the best of her, so she questioned:**

**“When are you going back to Sakuragi Lab, honey?”**

**“I’m not coming back” He said, and without adding anything else, he made his way up to his bedroom**

**Pikachu felt the sadness in his partner’s voice and actions, so he asked:**

**“Pika”**

**“No, I’m not fine buddy”**

**“Pi-Pika-Pika?” The electric Pokemon asked with a frown**

**“Of course it’s not your fault, Pikachu. We got our asses kicked in the Challenge because _I_ wasn’t good enough. Six months training for what? To lose 10 matches in a row, really?”**

**“Pi-Pika! Pika-Pikachu-Pi-Pika!”**

**“Yes, I’m going to call him now…”**

**Gou was more than a companion, he was his first love, the person he cared about the most in the whole world, but during the challenge, Ash discovered that not having Gou around was a weakness. He had become too dependent, too attached to the other boy.**

**The call went directly to the voice mail, and Ash decided maybe it was better that way.**

**He deleted Gou from his contacts, and never called him again.**

“You weakened me” Ash explained, realizing the pink mist was almost gone from sight

“You never told me that” Gou replied

“How was I supposed to confess that to you?” Ash commented “you were having a blast with your discovery, being a successful researcher, how could I ruin that for you?”

“Still, you hurt me when you left” Gou responded “And you never called me back”

“I didn’t know what to say… I’ve never been good at saying goodbye!”

“You had to say goodbye! I was your boyfriend!” Gou shouted, almost crying, and that ‘was’ felt like a million thunderbolt’s passing through Ash’s heart.

“I was heartbroken, and so were you” Ash explained “What was I supposed to do? Add more salt to the wound?”

“No, you idiot!” Gou said, slapping him “You were suppose to do what you always do! The one thing I expected you to do!”

“And what is that?”

Gou remained silent, so Ash continued:

“I thought being away from you would be fine, that I would get over you, that I would be back to being the trainer I always was”

“Did it work?” Gou asked

Ash closed his eyes and let out a breath, then whispered

“I’ve been on a winning streak since a few weeks ago…What about you?”

“Still being a ‘successful researcher’ as you said”

“So… we both are still on the path that leads to our dreams, right?”

Gou nodded

“But at what cost?” Ash asked

“Both of our hearts, I suppose” Gou muttered

“I thought I’d be fine leaving you… But I’m not fine with it… I never was… And now…”

“Now it’s too late” Gou completed

“Is it really?” Ash questioned “It’s too late to tell you I want to go back with you? That I want to start again, to hug you, and kiss you, and tell you how much you mean to me?”

“How long has it been since the last time we talked?” was all Gou said

“I don’t know… A month? Two, maybe?”

Gou denied with his head and took Ash’s hands

“You never called me again, and I thought maybe you needed time, but when I got back to the Lab, everyone said one day you simply left and never returned…”

“I…” Ash tried to say, but Gou kept talking

“I went to your house one day, your mother told me you began another journey, I tried to reach out to you, but you never answered. So, I contacted you in the only way I could”

“How…”

“My Musharna’s Dream Mist” Gou explained “I’ve been appearing in your dreams for a while, but this is the first time you actually noticed me” he completed, and Ash noticed a hint of sadness in his voice

“Since when do you have a Musharna?” was Ash’s response, and the other boy chuckled

“How long has it been since the last time we talked?” Gou repeated

“Maybe… I don’t know… Maybe two, three months, tops, I think”

“Think again”

Ash hugged his friend tightly, he knew the mist was practically gone, they only got a few seconds left, but there was something he needed to know

“What did you expect from me?” He asked

Gou looked at him, unsure of what he meant

“You said you expected something from me… What?”

“Being kind…” Gou whispered, and started to cry “I needed you to say goodbye… Because I loved you, and when you left, all I needed was one last act of kindness…”

“And you never got that” Ash completed “I’m so sorry…”

“Well, at least we got tonight…”

“Tonight was nice”

“It was… Goodbye Ash”

“Wait” Ash begged “Come back another night… please?”

Gou denied with his head and repeated

“Goodbye”

And then, Ash Ketchum woke up. He grabbed his phone and took a look at the time:

03:23 AM

NOVEMBER 25TH, 2025

“Well…” He said to himself “It’s been almost five years, but at least I finally said goodbye…”

He got up and opened his window, out there in the distance a figure flew in the night, riding a Pokemon, surrounded by a pink mist.

“Goodbye, Gou…”

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

“It was a bad idea coming here” Ash said, looking at his boyfriend “I’m sorry Gou”

The couple was having a special date on the Reflection Cave in the Kalos Region, Gou followed his boyfriend’s instructions precisely, looking at the crystal that worked as a window to another universe, but being careful enough to not touch it, preventing him to enter that other reality.

“I’m sorry Gou” Ash repeated

His boyfriend didn’t reply, he simply started to walk, and made his way out of the cave, with Ash following him closely. Once they were out of the place, Ash took his boyfriend’s hand and whispered

“They’re not us”

“They _acted exactly_ like us” Gou replied

“It’s another universe Gou, things are different there”

“It felt like it was you and me… Like it was our future”

“But it doesn’t have to be!” Ash countered

But Gou was not convinced, he simply sat outside the cave, and started to cry, who cared if it was another universe? Everything was almost the same… This could only mean that his relationship with Ash Ketchum was soon to be over.

Suddenly, the trainer from Pallet Town remembered something. Something that happened in that very same cave, many months ago…

“Right here, I once promised Serena, Clemont and Bonnie that we were going to be travelling forever” he said

Gou raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say a thing

“I’m not sure if this is our future or not” Ash continued, taking his boyfriend’s hand “But I will promise you to be by your side forever, I mean it this time”

Gou laughed sarcastically

“Forever doesn’t exist. Times end, Ash, because they have to, because there’s no such thing as a happy ever after, it’s just a lie we tell ourselves because the truth is so hard…”

“Then I promise you tomorrow” Ash replied

“That’s not very reassuring either…”

“I promise you as many tomorrows as you need, as many days you want me by your side, I promise to you, I’ll be there… If forever doesn’t exist… Then let’s have time… As much time as we can… and let’s enjoy it… together”

Gou touched Ash’s cheek slightly and saw that fierce determination in his eyes

“When did you became so… eloquent and romantic?” he questioned

“When I met you” was the other’s boy response

Both boys stared at the horizon, the sun was setting, and they were sure many hardships were waiting for them in the future, but also many special and unique moments.

They would be ready to live all of that.

Together

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I threw a Doctor Who reference in there, sue me Moffat!  
> Whoever spots it first and writes it down in the comments, gets a prize! If you have an idea for a Fic, I’ll write it!  
> See you soon, everyone!


End file.
